www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

On BBC2 on December 17 at 8pm.

This will be well worth watching - some lovely footage of our butterflies going about their business, as well as a look at how people have drawn inspiration from them and pen-pictures of butterfly enthusiasts, from conservationists to performance artists. This includes a few familiar faces!

Thanks for that Matsukaze.... i will definitely watch it. Is Pete in it ?

Charles

Charles Nicol wrote:Thanks for that Matsukaze.... i will definitely watch it. Is Pete in it ?

Charles

What - with a face made for radio?

Kipper and Oates are both in it.

Cheers,

- Pete

oh well just the B List....

i hope Mr O will wear his hat.

Charles

Many thanks for the forewarning. I shall ensure I don't miss it (though I suspect it will make my Seasonal Butterfly Affective Disorder all the more virulent)

Last month it was "Twitchers - A Very British Obsession". I know the three main characters the editors chose to portray. The main character, Lee Evans, was so unhappy with how his five and a half hours of interview were chopped into the 'juiciest quotes' he has since given a full interview damning the programme and putting forward a defence of himself! "Car crash tv" he called it. "They knew what they wanted, and the birds barely had a look in".

It will be interesting to see how the butterfly enthusiasts fare...

Gibster.

I shall be watching I enjoyed the twitcher one, made me quite nostalgic.
Thanks for bringing our attention to this Matsukaze.

Ref Lee Evans and the editors.

That’s the problem with recorded programmes. It is all too easy for producers to edit so much that the original intention is lost. I seem to have “got in” with local radio (I hasten to add, I was approached, not the other way round) but at least I chat live (about weather, etc) so it’s not edited in an irritating way. I’m on live again next Monday and I have to be careful not to say how f---ing cold it is!

I recall an occasion at a major European Airport when – to cut a long story short – after a lengthy technical delay, Air Traffic Control were awkward when I wanted to start engines. Without thinking, I said on the radio: “Oh, for god’s sake!” Was I in trouble.....!!!

Jack

Gibster, were you on any of the 'twitches' featured?

I have to say I agree with you, none of the main characters were portrayed in a particularly sympathetic way with regards to their hobby. Especially the family with the little girl. I came away from the programme feeling sorry for her and also the wife and daughter of the chap who spent hundreds of pounds (without telling his wife) travelling around the country to see rare birds.

I hope this is different with the butterfly programme and we are all not made out to be...well, quite how the twitchers were portrayed.

Having said that, I can't think of two more erudite, enigmatic and persuasive butterfly enthusiasts than Kipper and Captain Oates to be the poster boys for our wonderful pastime

Cheers

Lee

Lee Hurrell wrote:Having said that, I can't think of two more erudite, enigmatic and persuasive butterfly enthusiasts than Kipper and Captain Oates to be the poster boys for our wonderful pastime

I just hope Neil keeps his clothes on

Cheers,

- Pete

Hopefully it will be pre-watershed and we will be spared

Cheers

Lee

I just hope Neil keeps his clothes on

And refrains from lighting up!

Jack

Lee Hurrell wrote:Gibster, were you on any of the 'twitches' featured?

Hi Lee,

I wasn't in the programme, but I was filmed inside the Scillonian Bar on St Mary's, Scilly. A nice insight into the role call each evening throughout the "Scilly (ie Silly) Season" with much humour and banter throughout. Unfortunately this too ended up on the cutting room floor. (Actually do cutting rooms still exist nowadays????) I travelled up to Orkney for the Sandhill Crane as featured on the programme, except I went the following day. A 65hr round trip from waking up to go to work, finishing work, meeting up with another like-minded idiot, travelling up, skore the bird (as we kool kidz say), driving back and falling into bed once more. And all for a bird I've seen hundreds of in the USA lol. And before you ask, around 140 quid.

Then there was the time I hit Shetland for a Brunnich's Guillemot, a three day round trip and a touch more pricey...and missed it. Ho hum. Although I don't think that was the precise phrase I uttered at the time!!! Still, we whupped the locals on the pool tables so it wasn't a wasted journey. They promised to post me the Brunnich's in a shoebox if they found it...

Cheers,

Gibster.

Gibster: "A 65hr round trip...

I once twitched a Hoopoe. Three miles there, three miles back. 30 minutes.

I add this quietly. I do have to confess twitching a Camberwell Beauty last summer. That took rather more than 30 minutes.

Jack

Those of you familiar with Adrian Riley's 'British and Irish Butterflies' might like to read 'Arrivals and Rivals', an account of a year's twitching (2002) in which Adrian and Lee Evans went head to head to notch up the highest UK bird count for the year.
Makes interesting reading!
Alex

alex mclennan wrote:Those of you familiar with Adrian Riley's 'British and Irish Butterflies' might like to read 'Arrivals and Rivals', an account of a year's twitching (2002) in which Adrian and Lee Evans went head to head to notch up the highest UK bird count for the year.
Makes interesting reading!
Alex

One of my favourite books and so well-written.

Cheers,

- Pete

"Twitchers - A Very British Obsession".
I didn't see it (didn't know about it). It's gone from iPlayer. Any other source?

Jack

Pete Eeles wrote:alex mclennan wrote:Those of you familiar with Adrian Riley's 'British and Irish Butterflies' might like to read 'Arrivals and Rivals', an account of a year's twitching (2002) in which Adrian and Lee Evans went head to head to notch up the highest UK bird count for the year.
Makes interesting reading!
Alex

Arrivals and Rivals, great book! Have a peep at pages 40 through to 43. It tells of a weekend in Cornwall with Black-eared Wheatear, Woodchat Shrike, Hoopoe, a brace of Cattle Egrets, Alpine Swift and - best of all - a confiding Scops Owl at Porthgwarra. Adrian quotes it as "the most remarkable birding weekend I have ever had."

Well, I'm not usually one to gloat...but....I found that Scops (and very narrowly stopped my best mate Rich Fuller from running it over!!) I can clearly recall the exact moment when we realised that the oddly tolerant 'Little Owl' sitting on the ground in front of the car showed rather prominent ear tufts...then it turned its head over its shoulder to face us... "SCOPS!!! IT'S A BLOODY SCOPS!!!!!! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

One of the true highlights of my birding career.

Jack Harrison wrote:"Twitchers - A Very British Obsession".
I didn't see it (didn't know about it). It's gone from iPlayer. Any other source?

Jack

ermmm http://www.mediafire.com/?f9lc50a700m8478

is this iplayer ?

charles



PS i listed to a Mr Harrison on the wireless this morning... was that you ?

Got in my dig about the Guided Bus.

Jack